Who's to Blame?
by Haruko-Mizumi
Summary: When Odin decides Loki's punishment, Thor has a startling thought as to who is really to blame for everything that's gone wrong. Post Avengers. Odin bashing. Now with follow up story "The Hardest Person to Forgive".


A/N: I don't like Odin all that much. I don't believe he had bad intentions, but he didn't really carry out them out correctly, and both Loki and Thor suffered for it (mostly Loki).

I actually had a war with myself concerning if I should publish this or not, because I'm afraid it's out of character, but ultimately I decided to, partly because my Loki feels are at an all time high.

On Loki's age, I found information that said the war with the Frost Giants took place in 970 AD, did some math on the assumption that was the year Loki was born, and that places him at 1,042 years old. I don't know if it's actually right.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Thor.

**Who's to Blame?**

The scene before Thor was heartbreaking.

Loki, was kneeling, chained and muzzled before the All-Father's throne, his head titled downward, under the critical gaze of Odin and the sad and conflicted stare of Frigga. They were here to decide Loki's fate, and Thor was thankful that it was only the four of them in the room, the guards sent away to give them privacy.

Thor stood beside his brother, with a hand on his shoulder, which Loki simply let rest there. Loki had stopped making any attempts to scorn Thor's gestures of support and affection about a month ago after Loki had made a tearful confession to the tortures he had been subjected to by the Chitauri to break him, to submit to their bidding. Thor had doubted the admission at first, until he'd seen the scars that ravaged Loki's body. With that knowledge, he was certain Odin would not punish Loki, although Loki insisted that wouldn't be that case.

"It will be all right Brother." Thor whispered so that only Loki could hear.

Loki shook his head ever so slightly.

"You have been found guilty of treason, murder, attempted murder, conspiring with an enemy of Asgard, and attacking a world under the protection of Asgard. For this, you shall be imprisoned in the depths of Asgard, with no contact from the outside, for as many years as you are old, as well has have your magic stripped from you." Odin declared.

Thor turned surprised eyes upon his father. "Is Loki not going to have a chance to speak in his defense?" The sentence was not death, but surely imprisonment for over one thousand years was overly extreme. He knew that Loki would come out of such a punishment far worse off than he was now.

"What could he have to say Thor? We all know his crimes, and what the punishment is." Odin replied.

"But he was tortured, beaten and abused." Thor felt Loki tense under his grip at the mention of his time as a captive of the Chitauri. "Does that mean nothing? He had no choice. You have seen the scars yourself Father."

"He broke under torture. Rather than die, he gave in."

"They were not going to kill him, they needed him. They would have continued for centuries if need be. And to lock him away for over one thousand years? He deserves to heal, to recover! He is still unwell! Perhaps some time in prison after that, but not for that long a span of time, and not without being allowed visitors!"

"Thor, please." Frigga spoke up, unshed tears in her eyes. "It pains us to do this, do not doubt that."

"It was not his fault!"

"Even before his time as a captive, he conspired with Laufey and the Frost Giants against Asgard, almost destroyed the Jotunheim, and nearly killed you and your friends. Those were things under his control. Those things were his fault." Odin said sternly, rising to his feet.

Loki was trembling even more now, and Thor noticed tears dripping from the muzzle onto the marble floor.

The mention of Frost Giants stirred the memory of Loki preventing his coronation in Thor's memory. That had been when everything had gone wrong, when everything had spiraled out of control. And sudden, shocking thought occurred to him.

"No." Thor said slowly, his mind processing the thought in full. "This is your fault."

Frigga gasped, and Odin took a step back, as if physically hit by the words. "What did you say?"

"This is your fault. This started when Loki prevented my coronation because he thought I was not ready to be king, and he was right, I truly was not ready. But who thought I was ready in spite of my selfishness and immaturity? You did. Loki never would have done such a thing if you had not made an unwise decision." Thor was speaking faster with each word, fully wrapping his mind around what he was saying.

Loki looked up at him with surprised, disbelieving, and frightened eyes, and Thor moved his hand to stroke Loki's head gently, giving him a warm glace.

"Loki could have spoken his mind on the matter." Odin countered.

"Would you have listened? Would any of us have listened?" Thor asked.

"Of course we would have." Frigga replied breathlessly. "He knows you better than anyone."

"I believe not. It would have been looked upon as jealousy." Thor answered, continuing to stroke his brother's head. "And after that, when Loki needed us most, when he needed us assure him that despite his wrongs he would still be welcomed home, he received nothing but rejection from the person he was trying to please, to prove himself to." Thor felt Loki turn his head downwards again.

"ENOUGH!" Odin boomed, tapping his staff loudly on the floor. "Do not turn the blame away from the perpetrator Thor Odinson! He was aware of his actions, aware of his wrongs, and he continued to carry them out! The punishment stands! I am being merciful in not killing him! Join the guards outside and take Loki Laufeyson to his prison!"

_Laufeyson._ The use of that name cemented all Thor's accusations in his mind, and he fell silent, feeling angry and hurt for his brother.

Frigga was on her knees by the throne, crying and gasping out Loki's name, but did not go to him, apparently unable to move.

Thor raised Loki, who was sobbing, but unable to make any sound because of the muzzle, to his feet, and gently took him out of the throne room, towards his fate. Thor kept his hand on Loki's shoulder as they marched with the guards down into the depths of Asgard, with one very solid thought in his mind. Thor would not allow Loki to spend over a millennium locked alone in a small, dark room. Thor would not allow his brother to suffer. Not when he was not the one to blame.

**End**

A/N: In the process of writing a (short) multi-chaptered sequel fic to this. Just in case anyone is interested.


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